House-Sized Boulder Falls In Wind River Canyon, More Rockfall May Cause Closures

Increased moisture in the Wind River Canyon is causing some very big boulders to fall, and officials say concern for motorists may lead to a closure if the rock fall continues. According to the Wyoming Department of Transportation, they were dispatched to Wind River Canyon about noon Wednesday, when a boulder the size of a house and other debris fell onto the roadway of U.S. 20/Wyoming 789.

"There are quite a few big ones (rocks) that have fallen in that one area, about 13 miles south of Thermopolis," said WYDOT Maintenance Engineer Lyle Lamb of Basin. "We would appreciate it if people don't stop and look around. It's not nice there. We have built a berm in the Windy Curve area to try to keep any new rocks from entering the roadway."

Lamb said WYDOT workers will continue monitoring the slide area. "If it gets too western tonight, we're going to pull out of there and close the road. It could become a safety issue for travelers and our personnel," Lamb said.

WYDOT is moving dynamic message signs to the area, in case they need to close the highway during the rainy and snowy weather. They say the weather forecast is calling for continued rain showers through Friday morning in Wind River Canyon. Officials are asking that travelers please get the latest information on Wyoroad.info, call 511, or download and use free 511 app on smartphones.